Month: January 2015

The Obsidian Mirror

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On 2015-01-25

In Mirrors

“He said, ‘I am the Smokey Mirror, because I am looking at myself in all of you, but we don’t recognize each other because of the smoke in-between us. That smoke is the Dream, and the mirror is you, the dreamer.'”

~from a story by Don Miguel Ruiz

In ancient Mexico, mirrors were made out of polished iron pyrites and obsidian. Some say that the ancient people of Mexico used these polished mirrors, known as tezcatl, as tools of black magic. Um…black? Are they being literal? Because while it may have been used for magic, I doubt it was used exclusively for dark purposes. (Oh, the Western mind! Is there any hope for it.)  Just because the shamans used mirrors to travel and communicate with other realms hardly qualifies as black magic. These tezcatl were understood to be portals into other realms and likely used for healing, divination, burial ritual, and yes, in the wrong hands, for dark purposes. But put anything into the wrong hands and said humans will find a way to misuse it.

The Mexican god, Tezcatlipoca, or “Smokey Mirror”, is often depicted with an obsidian mirror, sometimes replacing his right foot, sometimes at his head or chest. He is said to be the Lord of Sorcery, King of Rulers, and Lord of the Night, and through his mirror, he could see the true thoughts and motivations of man. For a whole new light on the dark lord of Tezcatlipoca, check out this beautiful story written by author of The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz. In it, Don Miguel weaves of tale of Smokey Mirror‘s awakening from the dream of the planet to discover the oneness of life. Though he attempted to share his new-found revelations with others, it was only to be misunderstood. Everyone else was still caught within the smoke…the dream of the planet that separates us from our truth. He knew he too would fall back into this dream state.

A Mexica (Meh-she-ka) mirror was one of several reflective objects used by 15/16th century astrologer and magician John Dee for divination practices. He had a fascination with mirrors as well as with supernatural and psychic phenomena. With the help of medium, Edward Kelly, Dee would transcribe messages that Kelly perceived “through the looking glass”. This mirror currently resides in the British Museum and is made of volcanic glass (obsidian).

To learn more about obsidian mirrors, check out these links:

The Getty Research Institute: Obsidian Mirror Travels

Mirrors in MesoAmerican Culture (most excellent and fascinating tidbits)

To read more of the myths of Tezcatlipoca:

Tezcatlipoca: Aztec God of Night, the North, and Sorcery

Tezcatlipoca on Wikipedia

 

Percy Shelley

By

On 2015-01-24

In Blog, Mirrors

“Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted.”

Percy Shelley

Mirrors in Feng Shui

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On 2015-01-19

In Mirrors

There is an art to using Mirrors in Feng Shui and for good reason. They reflect the beauty around you (assuming you are indeed surrounded by beauty), put eyes in the back of your head (I loved my over-the-stove mirror that let me see what was happening behind me in my kitchen), and magnify the light, pushing or pulling chi. They have a reputation of being a cure-all, but as you’ll see from this blog, there are right ways and wrong ways to use mirrors inside your home.

We don’t often pay attention to what the mirrors in our homes are reflecting. Mirrors are typically meant to serve either a functional or simply decorative purpose, perhaps making a small room feel larger. But when we become more conscious of how we are using our mirrors, maybe some of that good-old Feng Shui luck and prosperity can come our way. If we don’t, we may end up with bad Feng Shui and bad luck! I remember looking at an apartment once. As soon as I opened the door, I suffered the shock of someone standing right at the door as I entered. Even if it was only my reflection, it made me jump. Not a good mirror placement and for more than one reason!

Mirrors have fascinating qualities, not just expanding a room, as this blog reveals. They carry water energy and can help us stay in the flow. They can help us awaken and access our creativity, and they can repel the “bad energies” that come at us from all directions. But it isn’t just where the mirror is placed. There is also the consideration of the quality and condition of the mirror to ponder. Is it dirty, cracked, peeling? Such conditions can create or magnify problems for us.

Finally, one should also think about how a mirror is hung. Is it too high? Too low? Google some tips on hanging your mirrors according to “good Feng Shui” and for optimum effect.

Have you found a really cool way to use a mirror in your own home or life?

 

 

 

What We Love on Pinterest & Why

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On 2015-01-13

In Mirrors

Images are powerful. They can change our thought patterns and altar our mood instantly. Why not feast your eyes on images you love every day? Mirror Spiritus maintains a Pinterest profile, and we invite you to join us there. Unlike other social media sites, Pinterest has the visual advantage of accessible beauty and inspiration. It’s so full of colorful eye candy, and you can personalize it!

Some of the boards we at Mirror Spiritus feature on Pinterest are:

Mirrors:  Well, of course! We’ve collected some amazingly beautiful antique and artsy mirrors of all shapes and sizes. They are seriously breathtaking, and man oh man, would we love to sit in mirror meditation in front of some of these babies or have one as the centerpiece on our mirror altar.

The Great Mystery: In case you hadn’t noticed, Mirror Spiritus is very inspired by light in space. So this board features some striking images from Hubble and other sources that leave one’s mouth agape. The Great Mystery isn’t “out there.” Take a peek at these images and remember not only who you are but where you’re returning.

Shisha Embroidery: Dielle recently wrong a blog about Shisha embroidery which is the art/craft of sewing reflective objects into fabrics. You can see some delightful and colorful samples here.

Chandeliers: Mirror Spiritus is all about bringing more light & beauty into the world. Check out these absolutely gorgeous and extravagant chandeliers that do so quite literally. The lines, the colors, the radiance! YUMMMY!

Stuart Davies Landscapes: We are grateful to our first official blog sponsor, Stuart Davies Art, and enjoy showing off his rich and masterful landscapes. Stuart shares Mirror Spiritus’ love of beauty and light. In fact, he spent much of his life seeking out the perfect light by which to paint. He found it in France. Please visit his website and buy something beautiful for yourself.

The Light Sanctuary: Breathtaking art and other images that heal us through our eyes with the light they exude. This board is like a sanctuary, a retreat from a stress-filled day.

So  stop on by and take a look around. If you have a Pinterest profile, follow us there. Thanks!

 

Mirrors and Traditions

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On 2015-01-12

In Mirrors

The ways in which mirrors have been used throughout the centuries are fascinating. Surely, their importance in various world-wide traditions points to something quite archetypal regarding our reflection. Did our ancestors understand something we have forgotten? There are, of course, myriad superstitions regarding mirrors around the globe as well, but I’ll save those up for another post. Here, I focus on a few tidbits of mirrors and traditions.

Image Source: Flickr Photo by: dakinewavamon

THE CELTS

The Celts were an artistic people with a love of metalwork and incidently, mirrors made of bronze, iron, or a combination of the two. Theses mirrors were decorated with the motifs of Celtic art frequently reproduced today and have often been recovered from graves begging the question, “What was their significance?” They are generally regarded as “status symbols” among wealthy women, but was there perhaps a more mystical purpose? Very few Celtic mirrors survive intact, and this wonderful website created by Stephen Markoff, has a collection of fascinating resources and pictures for you to peruse.

JEWISH CULTURE

In the Jewish religion, when a loved one passes, the mirrors of the home are covered while the family sits in mourning for a seven-day period in order to facilitate the transition of the departed from this world to the next. If the mirrors were not covered, it is believed the soul could become entrapped in this realm unable to transition to the “afterlife”. Of course, the more popular version of the meaning is that the bereaved should not be at all concerned with their appearance during mourning but should rather reflect inward. You can read more about the touching customs of Shiva here.

SERBO-CROATIAN CULTURE

Yet another culture that buries their dead with mirrors. Perhaps this Serbo-Croation tradition gives us insight into the significance of burial mirrors in the Celtic tradition. The purpose was two-fold: one) it was thought to prevent one’s spirit from wandering and two) it kept evil spirits from rising up, perhaps by providing them with a means of self-fascination in the grave.

MESOAMERICAN CULTURE

Status symbols of the elite and instruments of sorcerers, ancient mirrors have also been excavated from Maya tombs. Typically fashioned of iron or obsidian (volcanic glass), such mirrors have been found placed near the body (specifically the head, the chest, lower back, groin or feet) or at some distance from the body. Interestingly, the Mexican god, Tezcatlipoca, is often depicted with an obsidian mirror at his head, chest, or foot. What was the significance of these burial mirrors? Were they merely prized possessions for their beauty or reflective qualities or were they viewed as portals into other realms?

Do you know of any interesting cultural uses of mirrors?

 

Nichiren Daishonin

By

On 2015-01-11

In Mirrors

“A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished, it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of phenomena and the true aspect of reality.”

~Nichiren Daishonin

 

How the Insanity Plea Can Save the World

By

On 2015-01-11

In Blog

tout le monde FBWARNING: Do not read if you are easily offended.

I had a rather interesting encounter on Facebook today. A friend had posted about the situation in France sharing his views that declaring war against anything is unlikely to help interracial and religious tensions. I “liked”, not realizing the hostile and heated debate I was getting into.

Some of his other friends just had to express their opinions as well. Nevermind that they had a choice to simply respect his opinion and move on to post on their own walls! No. They had to be heard, damn it! After all, didn’t the rest of the world deserve to be enlightened by their wisdom?

Why can’t we just let someone say what they want to say without going all ape-shit? It is ironic. I wrote two books about the power of the voice and living a fully-expressed and authentic life. I’m beginning to wish I hadn’t. In the wrong hands, that shit is deadly!

It was insanity. One woman was typing totally brainwashed gibberish vacant of fact in an obviously over-the-edge manner (posting and commenting to her own comments) and another man was pointing fingers that were reminiscent of ancient wars fought long ago. There was some serious disrespect being levied. Seriously, it was enough to turn my stomach. My poor battle-weary friend! How on earth are humans ever supposed to communicate if we continually think we’re right and everyone else is wrong? What hope do we have when words are turned against us and the crazy mind justifies the most insane of beliefs? Isn’t that what defines fanaticism? Maybe even terrorism?

I’ve said it before, and I’m not afraid to say it again. We are all terrorists! We are terrorists with our words, in our minds, sometimes in our action whether against ourselves or others, and yes, even in our hearts. I’m sorry. But until we learn to stop pointing fingers, blaming sides, and hating each other, we will continue to kill each other. The mind will not stop the bloodshed. It’s having too much fun being right.

The only way out of this ridiculous pickle as I see it is something very few people will want to do, let alone be capable of doing. That is: to admit we’re all fucking crazy! Not “he’s crazy”. Not “she’s crazy”. Not “they’re crazy.” But I’m crazy. And you’re crazy. I think this is my message for 2015. It’s what I’ve been dealing with myself…the recognition that I’m totally nuts. Maybe I don’t go around killing people or shooting down planes, but I think. And sometimes, that is just as criminal.

And you know what? It’s liberating. When I remember to just embrace and accept that I’m crackers, I no longer have to justify what I believe (let alone believe it). I no longer have to jump in and debate others. I no longer have to prove anything. After all, I’m a lunatic. And so are “they”. And so are you, my friend. Congratulations! Let the healing begin, because the very realization is what gives us hope. The realization begins the reversal.

I’m telling you…the only hope for humanity is accepting that we are all completely bonkers. It doesn’t matter what side you’re on. It doesn’t matter what race you are. It doesn’t matter what religion you are. The unifier here is WE’RE ALL NUTS!!! There are no degrees of crazy until you wake up and admit you are. Then at least, you are finally a little less crazy…but make no mistake, still crazy.

I’m not saying my friend shouldn’t have posted his opinion. Of course he had every right. It was the grenade shower that followed that was completely unnecessary. For God’s sake people, use every last ounce of your will to shut your own trap and stop inflaming what is already so far out of control the only escape is “out of this world”. Blithering is only making things worse. It destroys the spirit and is the clearest form of evil I’ve ever known.

Just because we all have the right to free speech doesn’t mean we need to exercise it. Rights come with responsibilities and hopefully, a certain level of maturity that allows us to respect and empathize with others. So shut up! Stop having to prove your point! Stop spewing political nonsense you overheard and now embrace as fact when it came from someone else’s screwed-up imagination. Stop declaring you are right. Stop letting fear have free reign over every form of intelligence in your being. And start declaring you are an insane piece of work with no clue of the truth and in dire need of divine grace to see clearly again.

Deep breath in. And out.

Right now in France, people are gathered in large numbers to stand against terror, and that’s good, but I doubt they realize that the depth of this terror is rooted within…until it is rooted out. Still, it is a start. If we really want to bring an end to all of this, let’s do so with dignity, refrain, resolve, and unity. Let’s stand as one body, silent, reverent. That is the way.

Aw, what do I know? I’m nuts.

 

Book Review: Full Spectrum Intelligence – What the World Needs NOW!

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On 2015-01-10

In Blog

Full Spectrum Intelligence
by Chris Thomson

Full Spectrum Intelligence: A Practical Course on Behaving Wisely and Well

I actually reviewed this book for Amazon a couple of months back, but I really wanted to bring it to Mirror Spiritus to encourage people to read it. Every so often, one reads a book that blows the mind with “good stuff”. It is very rough-going for authors to get the attention they deserve if they aren’t already famous or carried by the giant publishers. So I’d like to do my part for this book.

Thomson illuminates the various realms of intelligence available to humans. He writes about that which we are most familiar because it is the most valued…mental intelligence or brain smarts. Perhaps a growing number of us are familiar with these other types of intelligence: emotional intelligence, or being able to manage our feelings or social intelligence, the ability to “play well with others.” He goes on to explain that intuition is also an intelligence, something more and more of us are realizing but not something valued much in our patriarchal society. He also gives credence to spiritual intelligence or the ability to go beyond normal awareness, understanding, and behavior, and finally, to physical intelligence which goes beyond the concept of an athlete’s skills to the finer use of all of our senses.

So, what’s the Mirror Spiritus tie-in? It’s the full-spectrum, baby! Mirror Spiritus is about light and what better way to embody light than to fully develop our innate intelligence to its full potentials. But there’s more. I see this work as a reflection of human potential. Thomson does a beautiful job of opening our minds to all that remains untapped within us.

My Amazon review went as follows:

This book deserves a 10 star rating, but since that isn’t an option, I’ll settle for five. Chris Thomson has written a fascinating book I wish EVERYBODY would read…like NOW! It is clearly written and easy to read but full of incredibly inspiring and insightful information about “behaving wisely and well”. He explores the various intelligences–physical, emotional, mental, intuitive, social and spiritual–in a completely accessible way and offers simple practices to become more aware of and to build your intelligence in every area. It’s really a timely book while the whole world seems to be going mad; it reminds us to exercise humility and to pay attention to the whole self. It’s a prescription for what ails us if we are willing to get past our outdated concepts of intelligence (and indeed past our own arrogance) and heal the wounding around not being smart enough. I hope it gets translated into every known human language.

As Thomson writes, developing our intelligences is a means to become fully human. To be unconscious in any of the intelligences is to be less than we can be…indeed were born to be. And ignorance perpetuates insanity. Let’s face it. Some crazy-ass shit (pardon my language) has been going down in the world lately. Just this week, Paris endured terrorism the likes of which it has never known. I’m not saying this book can change the world and end the hate, but I am saying that this book can change your world if you let it. And isn’t that how we change the rest of the world?

Full Spectrum Intelligence: A Practical Course on Behaving Wisely and Well

 

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